Adjustable partition



April 2, 1929.

U. C. TH [ES ADJUSTABLE PARTITION Filed July 28, 1926 2 Sheets-SheetUse/1N 6 771/135 P 2, 1929; u. c. THIES 1,707,693

ADJUSTABLE PARTITION Filed July 28, 1926 2 Sheets-Shea 2 "II M 3mm(Jen/v 6. 771m.

Patented Apr. 2, 1929 V UNITED STATES 1,701,695 PATENT OFFICE.

URBAN C. THIES, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY HESITE ASSNNHIMTS, TOSTEEL COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO ADJUSTABLEPARTITION.

Application filed July 28, 1926. serial no. 125,541.

This invention relates to partitions used in the building trade, and theprimary object is the provision of partition extension units which maybe used as an attachment means for the edges of the main partition tothe wall or ceiling of building.

This invention is an improvement upon my prior application for LettersPatent entitled, Partition units construction, filed February 19, 1926,Serial No. 89,347, in which I have set forth the manner of constructionof the partition units and the way in which they are connected to otherpartition units and partition panels. This invention is concerned withthe manner of attaching the ends of the partitions to the wall orceiling of a building so that the same pieces may be used to closespaces of different heights. For this purpose each of the joints betweenthe vertical stile .iembers and the horizontal cross rails at the top ofthe partition is provided. with a telescopic upwardly extendingsheetmetal extension which extends the stile members upwardly to theceiling, and the lower end of which is received within and slid-ablevertically along the upper ends of the stile members of the partitionproper. These stile extensions are preferably made in two pieces and theupper end of each piece is provided with a pair of curlplates. The twopieces are adapted to mate together to provide a hollow rectangular boxshaped stile extension.

The use of the extension as just mentioned Imay be adapted to join theend of a partition to a vertical .wall as well as for ceilingconstruction by merely extending the extension horizontally ascontinua-tion by the cross rail members. V

.The further object of the invention is the provision of upwardlyextending cove strips 'or sheets which are curved upwardly and outwardlyand which are attached to the upper part of the main partition'at thejoints between the cross rails and stile members. These cove strips aremade of suitable springy material such as sheet metal so that they maybe extended upwardly to the ceiling to accommodate themselves to variousvertical distances and to conform to uneven ceiling conditions.

The use of these cove strips is also contemplated as finishing membersfor horizontally extending'the partition and joining it to a verticalwall of a building.

Other objects and advantages of my inventlon will be more fully setforth in the accompanying description, and claims, and in the drawings,of which:

I F1g. 1 is a view showing the partition unit trom which the mainpartition ro'per is constructed and showing a curlpliite which isadapted to be connected to a Wall 'or ceiling of abuilding.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a partition showing the use of thepartitionextensi'ons both vertically and horizontally.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevational detail showing the manner of attachment of thecove strips to the telescopic extension.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing a detail of the partition shown inFig. 2.

Fig. (5 is a section of the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a view of one unit of the telescopic extension.

Referring more particularly to the drawings a main partition is shownin. Fig. 2 as consisting essentially of mating pairs of cross rails 1;mating airs of vertical stiles 2; and panel pieces 3, t e ends of whichare received between the inwardly extendin flanges of this stiles andcross rails. The sti es and cross rails are each constructed of a pairof units 4 shown in Fig. 1, which are arranged in mating relation withthe inwardly extending flanges 5 and 6 of each pair of units in abuttingrelation." These partition units have been more fully set forth as totheir manner of use and the way in which the are constructed in my priorapplication or Letters Patent, Serial No. 89,347, filed February 19,1926, entitled Partition units and construction. The units are eachprovided with curlplatesT having hollow curl ends 8 each of which have alength slightly less than 01 equal to one-half the width of the units.

Thus, these'curlplates which are arranged in opposing pairs atdiagonally opposite and corners of the units may be attached together ina variety of ways by through pins 9 which extend through the alignedcurls of joining units. The ends of the through pins are interiorlythreaded to receive attaching screws 10 which extend through rectangularcovering plates 11 provided at the junctions vertical rail members. Thepanel pieces, 3 are provided with attaching holes 12 along of horizontaland their edges, theseholes. being evenly spaced in a symmetrical mannerfrom the corners of the panels so as to engage with the holes 13provided in an evenly spaced manner along the flanges and 6 of thevarious units i. The holes 13 in the units 4 are provided in pairs, alarge and a small hole being provided in each pair so that the largehole of one unitmay receive the head ofthe screw which attaches a panelto an opposing unit, as set forth in my prior application alreadyreferred to. v

It is intended that the various cross rails and vertical stile membersshould be made .in quantities in only the few standard sizes. In orderto close the space which will usually remain between the top of the mainpartition proper and the ceiling I provide upwardly ,extending hollowsheet metal extensions in dicated generally at 14, each oi which is madev v up of a pair ofmembers shown in Fig. i. The members 15 have a pairof outwardly projecting sides 16 and 17 which space the mating member 15the proper distance away asshown inFig. 3, when these sides 16 and 1'?of adjacent mating members are placed adjacent to one another. One endof each of the members 15 is provided with a pair of curl- .plates 18similar to the ourlplates 7 riveted to the ends of the units 4.These'curlplates have curls 19 which are adapted to be aligned withandinserted between the curls on attaching curlplates 20. See Fig. 1.The attaching curlplates 20 have two pairs of op-- posing curls whichare spaced the proper distance apart so that they may be aligned .withthe two pairs of curls provided on a complete stile extension as shownin Fig. 5. The attaching curlplatcs 20 are provided with "holes 21 bywhich they are screwed or bolted to the ceiling or to the side wall of abuilding. The curls 22 provided on these plates extend downwardly and athrough, pin 9 passes through four aligned curls of the attaching plates20 and the extension members 15. i

The stile extension'15 extends downwardly within the stile members in atelescopic man ner. The adjacent sides of the extension members areneatly received within and slightly pinched by the inwardly extendingflanges on the mating pair of units {l as shown in Fig. 6. The width ofthe extension members is such that they are neatly received within apair'of mating units 4. These extension members extend below the jointbetween the vertical stile members and the horizontal cross rail membersfor a suitable distanc'eso that they may be extended vertically Theupper end of the main partition proper will thus be rigidly braced tothe ceiling and the use oi" such extensible members permits the use of apartition made up of standard size units and igrovgeea ly extendingprojections or extensions are attached by curl attaching plates 20 whichare screwed to the wall before the pins 9 are inserted to attach thecurls of the plate 20 to the curls 19 on the extension members.

In order to close the space left open between the top of the partitionand the ceiling by the use of the extension members just described Iprovide cove sheets preferably con structed of sheet metal, which areattached by the attaching screws 10 to the upper part of the mainpartition proper. These cove strips indicated at 23 have a length equalto the distance between the centers of the vertical stile members. Eachlower corner of the cove strip is provided with an attaching hole solocated that the lower end of the cove strip may extend over one-half ofthe upper cross rails. The two upper attaching screws 10 on each side ofthe partition will thus support one corner of the'two adjacent covestrips provi :.ed on each side of the partition. The upper space betweenthe top of the partition proper and the ceiling may be closed by thesecove strips and a similar arrangement may be used for closing the spaceprovided at the side oil the partition where it is attached to avertical wall withoutbeing in direct contact with thewall.

'l Vhere a vertical extension of a partition meets at a corner with ahorizontal extension of a partition as indicated in Fig. 2 the end. covestrips extending both vertically and horizontally are so cut that theymalre a neat joint and these cove strips extend'past the end joint ofthe partition for the full disand are sli htly curved so that theattaching screws 10 may hold them with their upper ends in contact withthe ceiling. \Vhen the ceiling. is lowerand closer to the top of themain partitionproper the'cove strips are bent outwardly and downwardlyas shown at the left of Fig. 4.

The cove strips are provided in a few standard heights IOU I am awarethat various modifications and changes may be made without departingfrom the spirit or the scope of my invention and I do not intend to belimited to the precise construction which has been chosen herein forpurposes of illustration of one form of my invention.

What I claim is 1. In a partition, a main partition structure comprisinglongitudinal members and cross members detachably joined together attheir 7 ends, and a comparatively flat and wide extension projectingaway from the junction of a cross member and a longitudinal member andaligned with and extending into one of said members, and means on saidextension for detachably connecting it to an adjacent body. V

2. In a partition, a main partition structure comprising mating pairs oflongitudinal members and cross rail members detachably joined togetherat their ends, and a comparatively flat and wide hollow extensionprojecting away from the junction of a cross rail member and alongitudinal member and aligned with and extending telescopically intoone of said members, and means on said extension for detachablyconnecting it to an adjacent wall.

3. In a sheet metal partition, in combination, a main partitionstructure comprising mating pairs of'longitudinal members and cross railmembers joined together at their ends, and a comparatively flat and widehollow sheet metal extension projecting away from the junction of across rail member and a longitudinal member and aligned with andextending telescopically into one of said pairs of members, saidextension being formed of interfltting sheet metal sections, and meanson said extension for detachably connecting it to an adjacent part of abuilding.

4. In a partition, a main partition structure comprising a series ofstructural units arranged in mating pairs and having panels supportedthereby, said units having their adjacent sides open and provided withinwardly extending flanges on said open side, and an extension having athickness substantially equal to the distance between the said flangesand having a width fitting within a pair of units, and said extensionbeing adapted to be telescopically engaged by a pair of said units.

5. In a wall structure of the class described, a main structurecomprising a series of sheet metal structural units arranged in matingpairs and having panels supported thereby, said units having theiradjacent sides open and being provided with inwardly extending flangeson said open sides, and an extensionhaving a thickness substantiallyequal to the distance between the said flanges andhavinga width fittingwithin a pair of units, said extension consisting of a pair of flangedsheet.

metal plates with the flanges of the plates adjacent and serving tospace said plates, and extensions at an end ofeach of said platesadapted to be detachably connected to other similar extensions of anattaching member.

6. In a wall structure of the class described, a main structurecomprising a'series of sheet metal structural units arranged in matingpairs and having panels supported thereby, said units having theiradjacent sides open andbeing provided with inwardly extending flanges onsaid open sides, and an extension having a thickness substantially equalto the distance between the said flanges and having a'width fittingwithin a pair of units, said extension being telescopically engaged by apair of said units and consisting of a pair of flanged sheet metalplates with the flanges serving to space said plates apart, and a pairof curlplates rovided at one end of each of said flanged p ates toprovide a pair of aligned hollow curls adapted to be detachablyconnected and aligned with curls of an attaching member. 7

7. In a sheet metal partition, a main'partition structure comprisingmating pairs of upright members and cross rail members having elongatedhollow connection means at their 1 ends, and means for detachablyconnecting said connection means together, and a flat and wide hollowsheet metal extension projecting upwardly from-a junction of a crossrail and a vertical member and telescopically received by-said verticalmember, said extension having a thickness substantially equal to thedistance between the connection means atthe ends of the said members,and means on said ex ners of one side thereof to the said members. 7

10. In a partition, in combination, a main partition structure, anextensible series of braces telescopically received by said mainstructure and extending away from said structure to the ceiling, meansfor detachably connecting said braces to the ceiling, and a series ofcove sheets extending outwardly and upwardly from the said structureand.

adapted to assume various positions dependent upon the distance betweenthe ceiling and the said structure, and means detachably connecting saidcove sheets at their lower corners 'to the said structure.

11. In a partition, a main structure, an extensible series of bracestelescopically received in said main structure extending away from saidstructure to an adjacent part of a building, and a curved cove striphaving considerable flexibility so as to assume various positionsdependent upon the distance to said adjacent part of the buildingsupported from said main structure and extending away from saidstructure in smooth continuation of a side thereof-t0 the said part ofthe building.

12. A sheet metal structural unit extension of the class described,comprising a hollow sheet metal part having means atone end fordetachably fastening it in place, said part being adapted to betelescopically engaged at its other end by another structural member.

. 13. A sheet metal structural unit-extension of the class described,comprising a hollow flat and wide sheet metal part, and curlshapedextensions at one end of said part for detachably fastening it in place,the other end of said part having a uniform substantially rectangularsection so that it may be telescopically engaged by another structuralmember.

14. A sheet metal structural unit extension of the class describedcomprising a hollow sheet metal part constructed of a pair of flangedplates, the flanges in said plates serving to space the plates apart,means at one end of each of said plates for detachably fastening thesaid plates in place, said plates being adapted to be telescopicallyengaged at one end by another structural member.

'15. A sheet metal structural unit extension of the class described,comprising a hollow adapted, to be telescopically engaged at one end byanother structural member, said means comprising hollow elongatedtubular projections arranged in opposing pairs.

16. A cove strip for finishing a partition end, comprising a sheet ofmetal having considerable flexibility and bent into curved form, and hving a free side adapted to assume various positions in relation to thesupported side, said sheet being provided with an attaching hole atopposite corners of one side by which it may be attached firmly in placeto the partition. 7

17. A curved'ceiling cove strip for finishing the upper end of apartition, comprising a rectangular sheet of metal having considerableflexibility and having a free sidecurving outwardly and upwardly to aterminal edge and adapted to assume various positions in relation to thesupported side, said supported side having an attaching hole at eachcorner by which it may be firmly attached to the partition.

18. A ceiling cove strip for finishing a partition end, comprising arectangular sheet of metal having a pair of opposite beaded sides, oneof which is adapted to contact with the ceiling in various relationsdependent upon the distance from the ceiling to the other side of saidcove strip, said strip having means at each corner adjacent the otherside by which it may be supported at its lower beaded side from thepartition.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of July,1926.

URBAN o. THIES.

